CANTON, Ga. - The Trinity Tigers were selected as the 2026 preseason favorite for the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) title.
Trinity captured seven first place votes for 71 points while Sewanee had two first place votes for 64 total points. Rhodes took third with 58 points and Centre and Oglethorpe rounded out the top five with 51 and 37 points, respectively.
Voting was conducted among the SAA’s nine head coaches.
2026 WOMEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL RESULTS
1. Trinity - 71 (7)
2. Sewanee - 64 (2)
3. Rhodes - 58
4. Centre - 51
5. Oglethorpe - 37
6. Maryville - 35
6. Southwestern - 35
8. Berry - 29
9. Millsaps - 16
Defending Southern Athletic Association champion Trinity has been selected as the preseason favorite after capturing the 2025 conference title and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship. The Tigers also swept the conference’s major individual awards and posted an unbeaten 5-0-2 record in their inaugural SAA season.
Sewanee earned two first-place votes in the 2026 preseason poll after finishing 3-1-3 in conference play a year ago. The Tigers claimed back-to-back SAA championships in 2023 and 2024 and return two All-SAA Second Team selections as they look to contend for another conference title this fall.
Rhodes returns after advancing to the 2025 SAA Championship match under the guidance of the SAA Coaching Staff of the Year. The Lynx also secured an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Championship, defeating Brevard with a shutout victory in the opening round before falling to eventual national runner-up Emory in the second round.
The 2026 SAA Women’s Soccer Championship is slated for November 5-8 in Mt. Berry, Georgia, at the Berry College.
For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at
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